GMA News Online / News / Nation

Claims board for Marcos-era human rights victims to get to work in next 2 months

 News
Jan 312014
 
Claims board for Marcos-era human rights victims to get to work in next 2 months

Almost a year after the law offering reparation to victims of human rights violations under Martial Law was enacted, the board tasked to process claims for compensation will finally get to work, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson Etta Rosales said Friday. At a press briefing, Rosales said President Benigno Aquino III has already chosen nine appointees to the board, but refused to identify them pending official announcement from Malacañang. “Meron na siyang listahan. Nakita ko na iyon. Basta ang listahan na iyan, ilalabas na. Malapit na,” she told reporters. Rosales, however, admitted that she had to repeatedly remind the President to already form the compensation board for human rights victims during the dictatorship of former President Ferdinand Marcos. “Siguro very busy naman siya, pero alam mo when I actually texted him, he responded right away. Ibig sabihin, nawawala sa isip niya dahil ang dami-dami niyang problema. You really have to remind him,” she said. In February last year, Aquino signed Republic Act 10368, which seeks to distribute P10 billion in funds from the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses to Martial Law human rights victims. The law requires the President to form a panel to process claims of the human rights victims, but Aquino has not done so until now. The compensation board, which will be attached to the CHR, is tasked to receive, evaluate, processe and investigate applications for claims. Draft, database Rosales further said that she expects the claims board to come up with the implementing rules and Read More …

CHR chief wants to inspect military facilities for possible torture chambers

 News
Jan 302014
 
CHR chief wants to inspect military facilities for possible torture chambers

Following the discovery of a “torture cell” allegedly ran by local police in Laguna, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Etta Rosales said Friday that military facilities should also be inspected for possible torture chambers. At a press conference, Rosales said she has already directed government officials who are part of the national monitoring mechanism against human rights violations to also check on camps and other facilities ran by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) all over the country.  “Hindi ba karumal-dumal iyon? Hindi ba kahayupan iyon? Kung nakita natin as late as ngayon, mayroon din siguro sa mga militar,” the CHR chairperson told reporters. Rosales added that her commission will also be inspecting provincial intelligence branches and regional offices of the Philippine National Police (PNP) across the country. “Gusto talaga natin na no stones left unturned. Puntahan lahat ito… We will go all over the Philippines and do intensive work in trying to monitor, expose, oppose, and dismantle these facilities of torture,” she said. The CHR chief also warned military and police officials against dismantling torture chambers ahead of the inspection, saying they may be charged for tampering with evidence. “Chances are they might dismantle, pero malalaman din natin iyan. Ang hahanapin natin kung may torture victims,” she said. She added that she is coordinating with the AFP’s and the PNP’s leadership to be able to put in place “systemic solutions” to stop incidents of torture by security officers. Earlier this week, the CHR exposed a secret prison in Read More …

PHL envoy to lead new hunger strike over climate change

 General
Jan 302014
 
PHL envoy to lead new hunger strike over climate change

A Philippine diplomat who went without food for 14 days last year will lead another fast on Saturday in a bid to pressure world leaders over climate change. Naderev “Yeb” Saño, the Philippines’ lead negotiator at United Nations climate talks, drank only tea and water throughout the last meeting in Poland in November, garnering world headlines and praise from developing nations. Saño’s latest symbolic one-day hunger strike is an attempt to maintain pressure ahead of the next UN talks in Peru, with his tactics beginning to attract followers around the world via social media. “The objective is to keep connecting with the people who believe in climate justice … I’ve always believed in fasting as an important instrument in provoking change,” Saño told AFP. Saño will carry out his February fast while visiting Tacloban City, which was devastated when super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) tore across central Philippines in November. Yolanda, the strongest typhoon ever to make landfall and left 8,000 people dead or missing, triggered Saño’s original decision to fast at the UN climate talks in Warsaw. Saño said he expected other people around the world connected via social media to follow his example, in what he believes will be a growing movement ahead of the Peru round of talks in December. The Peru gathering is vital in trying to secure a global pact by 2015 that would limit global warming to 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels. Saño’s fasts have been promoted by Nobel laureate Read More …

Govt mulls stopping construction of Yolanda bunkhouses

 News
Jan 272014
 
Govt mulls stopping construction of Yolanda bunkhouses

Lacson: No overpricing in Yolanda bunkhouses. Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery chief Panfilo Lacson, in giving update on the rehabilition efforts in Yolanda-hit areas during a press briefing at Malacañang on Monday, January 27, said there was no overpricing in the construction of bunkhouses in Tacloban City. Benhur Arcayan The government is considering stopping the construction of bunkhouses for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda and instead may just give them materials to repair their houses, Presidential Adviser for Rehabilitation and Recovery Sec. Panfilo Lacson said. “Nag-confer kami ni [DPWH] Secretary Babes [Singson] na parang we’ll do away with the bunkhouses na. Bibigyan na lang talaga ng construction materials ‘yung mga tao na gustong magkumpuni ng transition shelters,” Lacson said during a press conference at the Palace on Monday.  “Kasi ‘pag kinumpuni nila ‘yung mga dating bahay nila, in effect those are temporary shelters, kasi ire-relocate din naman sila eventually ‘pag nakakita na ng relocation sites at nagawa na ‘yung mga housing units,” he added. He issued the statement after some Yolanda victims initiated a petition to grant each of their families P40,000 in financial assistance. But even before this, issues of overpricing and substandard bunkhouses also hounded the government. Singson, however, had earlier said he will resign if there was indeed overpricing. On Monday, Lacson confirmed that there was no such thing. “There’s no question, walang overpricing. Kasi pinatingnan ko rin ito. Meron kaming pool of civil engineers who went to the area and took a look at the Read More …

NDRRMC: Almost P80M aid given to families affected by TD Agaton, LPA

 News
Jan 272014
 
NDRRMC: Almost P80M aid given to families affected by TD Agaton, LPA

Nearly P80 million in assistance has been given to families in Visayas and Mindanao who were affected earlier this month by a low-pressure area that intensified into Tropical Depression Agaton (Lingling). The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said some P79,803,510.81 was extended by government agencies and non-government organizations. In its 6 a.m. update, the NDRRMC said a breakdown of the amount included: P40,154,571.21 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development P35,486,090.55 from local government units P2,059,685 from non-government and government organizations The NDRRMC indicated the assistance was given to residents of Regions 5, 10, 11, 12 and Caraga. As of Tuesday morning, the death toll from Agaton remained at 64, with 85 injured and 10 still missing. The NDRRMC said 244,344 families or 148,621 people were affected in 1,002 villages in 118 towns in 16 provinces. Of these, 21,062 families or 102,201 people were displaced and are staying in 228 evacuation centers. Damage was estimated at P509,905,686.72, including P256,413,750 in infrastructure and P253,491,936.72 in agriculture. —KG, GMA News

Japan to beef up support to Mindanao peace process after annex signing

 News
Jan 272014
 
Japan to beef up support to Mindanao peace process after annex signing

Japan on Sunday committed to strengthen its support to the Mindanao peace process following the signing of an annex that would lead to a comprehensive peace pact between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. “As Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced during his visit to the Philippines in July last year, Japan will strengthen its support to the Mindanao peace process through the assistance for community development, capacity-building in transition period, sustainable economic development in Mindanao, and other methods,” Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Fumio Kishida said in a statement posted on the website of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On Saturday, government and MILF negotiators signed the annex on normalization that would pave the way for a comprehensive peace agreement. Kishida said Japan “heartily welcomes” the successful conclusion of the peace effort last weekend in Kuala Lumpur. “Having a firm belief that the peace in Mindanao will lead to the peace and stability in this region, Japan has extended its support to the peace process for years. It is great pleasure that Japan contributed to the progress of the peace process,” he said. Kishida also commended the efforts made by the Philippine government, the MILF, and the Malaysian government as facilitator. “Japan strongly hopes that the parties concerned will continue their efforts to steadily implement the transition process including the enactment of the Bangsamoro Basic Law and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority towards the realization of the Bangsamoro Government,” he said. — BM, GMA News

Senate probe on Vhong? We’ll see, says ‘best friend’ Jinggoy

 News
Jan 272014
 
Senate probe on Vhong? We’ll see, says ‘best friend’ Jinggoy

Will the Vhong Navarro case lead to a Senate investigation? Senator Jinggoy Estrada is trying to find out. Estrada told reporters Monday that he is trying to get in touch with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to know the status of the case involving Navarro, whom he called his “best friend.” “Nakakaawa. I feel sorry for him dahil sa sinapit niya noong isang linggo… Parang set-up talaga,” Estrada said at the sidelines of the Senate session. The actor-turned-senator said he visited Navarro in the hospital over the weekend, and vowed to help seek justice for his celebrity friend. “Kilala ko si Vhong matagal na. Ang tawagan namin, best friend. Mabait siyang tao. Ako’y naniniwala sa kanya… Sabi ko tutulungan ko siya para ma-achieve ang justice,” Estrada said. When asked if he will call for a congressional probe into the incident, Estrada said, “We’ll see.” Navarro is currently recovering in the hospital after supposedly being beaten up in a condominium unit in Taguig City last January 22. Navarro has been accused of attempted rape by the owner of the condominium unit, identified as Deniece Cornejo. Navarro’s camp calls the allegation “pure fabrication.” In 2009, actor-turned-senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. called for a Senate probe on a celebrity scandal involving Dr. Hayden Kho and actress Katrina Halili. — BM, GMA News

UPCAT revisions proposed to address ‘discrimination’ vs public school students

 News
Jan 262014
 
UPCAT revisions proposed to address ‘discrimination’ vs public school students

Only 30 percent of the 13,028 Filipino high school seniors who took and passed the UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) in 2013 were students from public high schools, the Philippine Collegian reported in its latest issue. Citing data from the UP Office of Admissions and a report of the “Study Group on Admissions” convened by UP president Alfredo Pascual, the Philippine Collegian reported the UPCAT “can be seen as discriminating actively against students from poorer backgrounds.” The Collegian said “the representation of public high school students in UP Diliman is even lower at barely 12 percent, or 467 out of 3,913 UPCAT passers. “From 2009 to 2013, 50 percent of UPCAT passers came from private schools, 20 percent from public science high schools, and only about 30 percent from public general and barangay schools,” Hans Christian Marin and Keith Richard Mariano of the Philippine Collegian wrote. Science high schools are also run using public funds, but they have selective admission and retention policies and use curricula different from those of the Department of Education public schools. The UP study group said examinees from the private schools “have a distinct advantage over those from public schools…” Marin and Mariano reported that the study group proposed the revision of the UPCAT formula to give more weight to the performance of an applicant during high school. The study group wants the weight of high school grades raised to 60 percent from 40 percent of the UPCAT score. “[This] will give them higher chances Read More …

Tourism department told to return P162.3M in unauthorized allowances

 News
Jan 262014
 
Tourism department told to return P162.3M in unauthorized allowances

The Commission on Audit has issued a notice of disallowance to the Department of Tourism for P162.3 million in unauthorized bonuses and allowances given to officials and employees in 2011 and 2012. The notice includes an order to return the disallowed benefits.  According to a report that the COA released on its website on Friday, auditors found the following unauthorized disbursements: P10.99 million in excess Collective Negotiations Agreement (CNA) incentives for 2011 P40.84 million in economic assistance (P26.89M in 2011 and P13.95M in 2012) P53.33 million in economic relief allowance (P23.26M in 2011 and P19.49M in 2012) P5.82 million in calamity assistance for 2012 P5.96 million in birthday bonuses (P2.45M in 2011 and P3.51M in 2012) P29.28 million in educational assistance (P12.96M in 2011 and P16.31M in 2012) P16.22 million in professional and persona enhancement incentives in 2012 COA said the 2011 CNA authorized an across-the-board incentive of P25,000 but that the DOT released P48,000 per employee, an excess that totalled P10.99 million.  The Tourism also failed to seek approval from the Office of the President for P151.447 million in extra benefits granted in 2011 and 2012. “The payment of allowances and other forms of compensation without proper authority is deemed an irregular expenditure, hence, Notice of Disallowance No. 13-002-101 (11-12) dated November 5, 2013 was issued,” COA said. According to a transmittal letter attached to the audit report, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. received a copy of the audit findings on December 27, 2013. — JDS, GMA News

5 bishops visit Gloria Arroyo at VMMC

 News
Jan 262014
 
5 bishops visit Gloria Arroyo at VMMC

Five Catholic bishops on Sunday visited former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at a government hospital in Quezon City, the latest among high-profile personalities to do so. The five led a Mass in Arroyo’s suite at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, radio dzBB’s Rowena Salvacion reported. The report said those who visited Arroyo were: – Archbishop Rolando Tirona (Nueva Caceres, Naga)– Archbishop Neri Odchimar (Tandag)– Bishop Emilio Marquez (Quezon)– Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan and Bishop Ramon Villena (Nueva Vizcaya). During the homily, the bishops said they wanted to “share love and compassion” to someone being allegedly harassed and persecuted, the report quoted Arroyo spokesman and defeated senatorial bet Raul Lambino as saying. Arroyo has been under hospital arrest at the VMMC since December 2011, on charges of electoral sabotage. She has since been charged as well with plunder, a non-bailable offense. Since the past weeks, the former leader has been visited by several high-profile personalities, including predecessor Joseph Estrada and former Vice President Noli de Castro, and former President Fidel V. Ramos. Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz was also among those who visited Arroyo much earlier. — LBG, GMA News

 Older Entries  Newer Entries